Promoting CQI Efforts
Prior to beginning work on this discussion, read chapters 1 and 2 in the textbook and review the following resources:
- The Six Domains of Healthcare Quality (Links to an external site.)
- How to Improve (Links to an external site.)
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) developed six specific aims to ensure the delivery and improvement of health care. In the first portion of your initial post, you will
- Choose two from the six aims: safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient, and equitable.
- For each of the two aims you chose, briefly discuss the implications of each aim on the delivery of quality care.
After reviewing the information about the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) model on the Institute for Health Care Improvement’s How to Improve (Links to an external site.) webpage, select one of the aims you addressed above and address the following regarding that aim in a health care organization such as a hospital, physician’s office, community health service (e.g., mental health, meals-on-wheels, Planned Parenthood, etc.), or your local health department:
- Discuss how the aim can be met in the health care organization.
- Include one or more specific change(s) that can be made that will result in improvement.
- Discuss how you will know that a change is an improvement.
- Identify the personnel to include on a team that would develop the action plan for improvement.
Your initial post must be a minimum of 300 words and utilize at least one scholarly source from the University of Arizona Global Campus Library as well as the course text. The Research, Keywords, Databases: An Overview (Links to an external site.) video tutorial is available in your online classroom to help you become more familiar with the library database search features and how to generate keywords. Sources must be cited in APA format as outlined in the Writing Center’s Introduction to APA (Links to an external site.).
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
The delivery and improvement of healthcare have become a major concern in the medical profession. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) developed six specific aims to ensure the delivery and improvement of healthcare. The six domains, namely safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient, and equitable, are essential for the delivery of quality health care. In this discussion, we will examine the implications of two chosen domains on the delivery of quality care and the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) model on how to improve the selected domain in a healthcare organization.
Q: Choose two from the six aims: safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient, and equitable. For each of the two aims you chose, briefly discuss the implications of each aim on the delivery of quality care.
A: The two aims I have chosen are safe and effective. Safe means that the care provided to patients should not cause harm or injury, whereas effective means that the care delivered must achieve its intended purpose relying on scientific knowledge. These two aims are crucial in delivering quality healthcare. By incorporating safe care in healthcare practices, we can reduce medical errors, and ensure patient safety. The implications of effective care suggest that healthcare providers must rely on evidence-based practices, continually evaluate medical procedures, and employ the most advanced technologies to ensure that the care given achieves its intended goals.
Q: After reviewing the information about the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) model on the Institute for Health Care Improvement’s How to Improve webpage, select one of the aims you addressed above and address the following regarding that aim in a healthcare organization such as a hospital, physician’s office, community health service (e.g., mental health, meals-on-wheels, Planned Parenthood, etc.), or your local health department:
A: I would choose effective care as the aim for healthcare improvement. Effective care denotes improving healthcare through the application of evidence-based practices, medical intervention, and scientific knowledge. In a hospital, this could mean a faster diagnosis and treatment process. To meet this aim, we can implement several changes such as employing electronic health records (EHR), which would improve patient data management and feedback mechanisms, develop clinical guidelines, regularly audit medical procedures and outcomes, integrate clinical decision support systems, and involve patients in their care plan. These changes can be measured using accurate data collection methods and quality indicators such as the number of diagnoses per day, process measures, and outcome measures. Finally, team members involved in developing the action plan for improvement should include medical practitioners such as doctors and nurses, administrative staff members such as medical records and billing personnel, and quality control improvement personnel. These personnel will contribute their expertise in achieving effective care delivery.
